>> this sheds a call the light on it. >> i'm sure your answer would have been at markedly different if auburn was planned for the national championships. against northwestern? [laughter] some people remember that. in the pool and weedeater bowl. >> on intelligence rules, has the president reached out to any african-american leaders since that failed terrorist attempt from and a jury in-- a nigerian man? >> i do not believe the president has had any foreigner week -- for it leader calls to africa. -- foreign leader calls to africa. i do not know exactly who nsc

might have talked to, counterparts, but the president has not. is this -- >> the continent of africa is a place where tourists are recruited and they are being trained there. there are tentacles leading out of places like somalia and nigeria. . .

>> i know the president has talked with leaders from throughout the world on the causes for this type of conditions to be created through lack of governance, lack of opportunity, and i don't think there is any doubt that this will continue both here at the state department and defense parma going forward. in travelling to africa in 2006 as a candidate, he's been some time at a military facility we have very close to yemen talking

to leaders, military officials there, about the security situation there, not just across the straits but in africa as well. >> does this put the light back on [inaudible] is this something as she left of two africa as opposed to a larger contingent? >> i think our command in africa would tell you that there is and has been a lot of discussion in working with not just other regional commands, but with nsc and others in the white house to ensure that we are taking the steps we need to in places like

somalia in order to take the fight to al qaeda and its extremist allies. >> yesterday, you said you would check on whether there were plans to renominate -- >> i have not done that. >> can you talk broadly about your frustrations with the pace of how the senate is moving, especially on these nominations. >> as i said yesterday, we have put a number of people into government in the first year. but, at the same time, we have seen the pacing in dealing with nominations both for the executive branch and judicial nominations that i think by almost any estimation would be deemed slow. but again, i go back to the example i used earlier.

when you spend precious time in a legislative body filibuster in you ultimately turn around and passed virtually a 90-10 were 90% of the people agree and you have to go back and wonder what is the point -- all the milly once you got cloture this was not the kind of thing passed 50- 49 or something passed with that type of bare majority. i think there is clearly a theory and tactic of slowing down progress on behalf of the american people. i think that is probably why those people continue to think the president is far better dealing with their problems than republicans in congress.

thank you. edber>> here is what is ahead o- span -- next, connecticut democratic senator christopher dodd announces his retirement. then gov. patterson gives the new york state of the state address. -- gov. paterson give the new york state of the state address. then gov. schwarzenegger gives the california state of the state address. >> this is the most requested picture from the national archives -- president nixon welcoming elvis presley to the white house in 1970. what were the circumstances behind a photo? was it like to be in the room when the photo was taken? we'll get some of those answers from two people who were there, a white house aide and music industry professionals. you can watch that live from the

national archives, this evening on c-span. >> now available, "abraham lincoln -- great american historians on the 16th president." is a unique, contemporary perspective on abraham lincoln from 56 scholars, journalists and writers from his early years to his time in the white house and is relevant today. it is now in digital audio to listen to any time, available where digital audio download are sold. learn more at c-span.org. >> in fed we trust -- on fed chairman ben bernanke and the role the plate after the economic collapse of 2008. the book will be discussed with the former federal reserve vice chair and former director of the congressional budget office. that is part of this weekend's "book tv" on the c-span2.

>> to connecticut now, word senator christopher dodd announced his retirement today. he has been in office in 1981 and renounced his retirement this year. -- announced his retirement this year. as banking committee chairman, he is a prime sponsor of financial regulation legislation. this is just under 10 minutes. >> on each of these occasions, i have begun my remarks by observing that every important journey in the life begins and ends at home. today is no exception. what is different about today, however, is not to announce the beginning of yet another

campaign for the united states senate, but to announce after 35 years of representing the people of connecticut in the united states congress, i will not be a candidate for reelection this november. i want to begin these very brief remarks by expressing my deepest gratitude to the wonderful people of connecticut, for the remarkable privilege of being elected eight times over the past four decades to our national assembly. you have honored me beyond words with your confidence. but me quickly add that there have been times when my position and actions have caused some of the to question that confidence. i regret that. but it is equally important that you know that i have never wavered in my determination to do the best job for our state and our nation. i love my job as your senator. i always have and still do. however, this past year has raised some challenges that insisted i take stock of my life. over the past 12 months, i have

managed for major pieces of legislation through the united states congress. served as chair and acting chair of two major senate committees, placing the at the center of the two most important issues of our time -- healthcare and the reform of financial services. i lost a beloved sister in july and in august, ted kennedy. i battled cancer over the summer and in the midst of all this, found myself in the toughest political shape of my career. let me be clear. i am very aware of my present political standing here at home in connecticut. but is equally clear that any certain prediction about an election victory or defeat nearly one year from now would be absurd. strange as it may sound, i am not confident i would be standing here today making this announcement if these situations had not occurred. none of these events are or

circumstances, either individually or collectively was the cause for my decision not to seek reelection. yet together, these challenges have given me pause to take stock and ask questions that too few of us in elected public life ever do. why am i running? on a cold morning to weeks ago tomorrow, i asked myself that very question. on the early frigid dawn of december 24th, christmas eve, with snow piled high along the streets of our nation's capital, i cast one of the most important, if not the most important votes of my years in the united states senate. a bill to fundamentally reform the health-care system of our nation. one hour later, i was standing on a virginia hillside at arlington cemetery where ted kennedy rests along with his brothers in eternity as he is in history, wishing i could have seen the look into these guys as

the united states senate took that historic step one hour before. i thought about the dozens of fine public servants, democrats and republicans, who have joined me in serving connecticut over the course of my career at the local, state, and national level. i thought about that caused -- the cal was connecticut families, ordinary people with extraordinary courage and spirit whose lives have touched me over the years and whose stories have profoundly affected by decisions in the united states senate. i thought about the dozens of patriotic senators with umayyad had the privilege of serving in an institution i dearly love. i have been a connecticut center for 30 years and i'm very proud of the job i have done and results delivered. but none of us is irreplaceable. none of us are indispensable. those who think otherwise are dangerous. the work to make our nation more

perfect union began long before i was elected to the senate and it will go on long after i'm gone. our country is a work in progress and i am confident it always will be. that is why i -- that is what i thought about as i stood on the hillside in arlington on christmas eve morning. that is what i talked about with jackie over this holiday season, and that is how i came to the conclusion that in a long sweep of american history, there are moments for each elected public official to step aside and let someone else step up. this is my moment to step aside. there will be time to reflect in more detail on the years i've spent in public service. there will be time to celebrate victories and more setbacks, share laughs and memories and to thank profusely the talented, tireless and numerous staffers, many of whom are here today, who have made my set work possible.

but that time is not now. my service is not over. i still have one year left on my contract for the people of connecticut. one year from this week, our state will have a new united states senator. in the meantime, we have important work to do, so few closing thoughts. i believe in bipartisan solutions, but i also believe you can only achieve those results with vibrant, robust, and civil partisan debate. i am a democrat and very proud of my party's contribution to the vitality and strength of america. i would never have had the opportunity to serve in congress had not had the support and backing of my political party in connecticut over these years. i appreciate the passion of party activists who have never ever faltered in their support of my efforts. i want to say thank you to my family for their tolerance of yet another generation of our family in the political arena. i am in specially adapted to

jack elite -- to jackie for her fierce loyalty -- her unlimited capacity for empathy and the needs of others. she has truly been my anchor in these stormy political waters. there is nothing more pathetic in my view that a politician who announces their only leaving public life to spend more time with their family. the result of this announcement today, i hope will create that opportunity, but it is not the reason for my decision. i am a very late arrival in father had as many of you know. and i am told repeatedly by some of you here today that these young children of mine will grow up very fast. so while these young ladies are not the reason for my decision, they will be an incredible benefit of the choice i make today. on this, the sixth of january, the epiphany, 2010, i am still driven by the same passions that motivated me to try my hand at

politics so many, many years ago. just as i have encouraged the people of connecticut, i am looking to the future with a spirit of optimism, confidence, and finally once again, for those of you gathered here today and the people across this great state of hours, i thank you immensely for the opportunity of giving me to serve. but to thank you. -- thank you very much. [applause] >> for more information on senator dodd postretirement decision, we spoke with a capitol hill reporter. >> two more senators have announced they will not seek reelection this year. we're joined by reporters to talk about the announcement by christopher dodd and byron dorgan. why did christopher dodd of connecticut say he would be retiring from the senate? >> what he says is less important than what is true but

his political future, which is he was fading fast. he had one of the most remarkable decline to popularity in recent history. he had gone from virtual institution in connecticut to probably the most absolutely most injured it -- endangered democrat on the ballot of all those seeking reelection this year. he had a remarkable decline that paradoxically began when he decided to run for president in 2008 and thought he was politically safe in moving his family from connecticut to iowa. the voters of connecticut started getting little annoyed with him. sticking up for the chairmanship of the banking committee is being received fairly or unfairly as sticking up for big corporate bonuses for some of the very companies that receive federal bailout money. all these things combined to really put his career very much on the line. >> how does that change the face of the senate race in 2010 in connecticut? who are the likely democratic

and republican candidates? >> democratic candidate seems almost certain to be richard blumenthal, who has been a rising star in the party for 30 years. he has been seen as an obvious statewide candidate for many years. he is the state attorney general and as never before actually run for statewide office. he felt that this was not the right time and now this clearly is the right time. connecticut is a democratic state and a viable democrat should have no trouble, is not a much easier time holding a deceit and christopher dodd would. the republicans have to viable candidates that were going to run against chris dodd. one is a former congressman who lost nearly a few years ago. the other is a former executive of the world wrestling federation. that's sort of by the bootstraps corporate executive who says she is willing to spend $30 million of her own money. there is also an open governor's race in connecticut.

one of those to may decide they want to run for governor. connecticut politics are as crazy and mixed up as they have ever been. >> byron dorgan says he will step down at the end of his term. what were his reasons? >> his was much more of a surprise. with christopher dodd, you can see the handwriting on the wall for the past couple of months. byron dorgan gave every indication he wanted to run again for a fourth term. we had a profile of him just a few weeks ago in which he expressed some frustration with the way things were going in washington, not only the nature of partisanship and the combative nature of how things have become more combative since he first got here, but he was somewhat of a critic of the obama administration so that their focus on health care and climate change was misplaced and they should be focused on jobs. he is a classic prairie populist. he is young enough that if he retires from the senate now, he can have another career. he has written some books and he likes to lecture.

he would be well courted for lobbying. he has lots of different options in front of him. >> is north dakota a possible republican pickup. >> it absolutely is. in a sense, the two we're talking about, one has gone from leans republican to likely democrat and this other one from heavily favored democrats in north dakota to probably republican. the very, very popular governor of north dakota is a little bit like richard blumenthal. he has been talked about as a senate canada for many years. he won a third term with 70% of the vote. he was reluctant to take on byron dorgan, but now he will probably be talked into doing it. >> do you expect any more surprise announcements? >> i am not, but that's what makes some surprises. it is getting a little late in the political calendar for senators to pull these surprises because it does not do your own

party any favors if they have to start recruiting candidates and raising money at this relatively late stage in the calendar. >> how do the 60 votes for the democrats shape up in 2010? >> i think it is a relatively safe bet that harry reid or his successor as majority leader if he loses his own race in nevada this fall while not have 60 votes to work with. that seems a pretty good prediction that one way or another the republicans will pick up at least a couple of seat this fall. >> thank you very much for being with us. >> you are watching c-span, created by america's cable companies and presented as a public service. here is what hat -- here is what the head -- gov. paterson is the new york state of the state address. then arnold schwarzenegger gives the california state of the state address.

then a look at the recent protests in iran. >> this is the most requested picture from the national archives -- president nixon welcoming all this presley to the white house in 1970. what are the circumstances behind a photo? was like to be in the room when it was taken? with its mother is answers tonight from two people who were there -- a white house aide and a music industry professionals. watch that life from the national archives this evening on c-span. >> in fed we trust -- from wall street journal economics editor on that chairman ben bernanke and the role he played after the economic collapse of 2008. he will discuss this book with the former fed chair -- fed reserve vice chair. afterwards, on "book tv" on the c-span2. >> three original documentaries

from c-span are not all built -- are now available on dvd. a journey to do three iconic branches of the american government. the explicit detail of the supreme court, behind-the-scenes at the white house, and history, art, and architecture of the capital. american icons is $24.95 plus shipping and handling. one of the many items is available at c-span.org. >> new york gov. david paterson gave his state of the state address earlier today. the speech focused on ethics issues, including campaign finance law and ethics.

when >> it has become customary on occasions of this significance to recognize each and every public official in the room with congratulatory pronouncements and self reflected praise. but my colleagues, at times are measures and i would ask what your understanding that we dispense with the flourishes and formalities and i would like to address all of you today just as fellow citizens of our great state, all equal under the eyes of god, all response both to the people of the state of new york, whether our service be short lived or long remembered.

this is is a winter of reckoning. i come before you today not just to talk of the state of the state, but also of the state of our self governance. a fragile instrument of popular will that has become the will to be popular. where it is easier to deny reality and to demand that which we cannot afford than to accept that years of living on the margins of our means have had to end. look at history. culturist of addiction to spending, power, and approval have ruined empires and now they threaten the empire state. but i come here today not to replay old grievances or in any

way to reclaim lost ground. we -- what we come here to build, to build new york's economy to a national model of ingenuity and strength, to build our people's trust in the fiscal stability of our state, to build our manufacturing to meet the energy standards of this enlightened era. and most of portly, to build the trust that the people once had in their state government. the last two budget battles have left its toll on all this in this chamber. there are more deficits up ahead that will require an even greater sacrifice. but if acceptance really is the prelude to recovery, then we have to accept that the old way of doing budget is unsustainable.

so do the special interests to intimidate, who badger, and to push when they do not get their way, even when they are aware that the cupboard is bare. the time for that type of politics has to end. [applause] we have to take firm and decisive steps to rebuild n.y.. we need fiscal reform, at fixed reform, and we need economic plan that will put new yorkers back to work. [applause] and so today, i'm not just speaking of the state of the state as it is, but we are talking about what the state of the state will be. the plan i have placed before you turned this crisis into an

occasion for leadership. the decision foremost in my mind every time i make one answers the question are we doing what is right for the people of the state of new york? so, in times of greater prosperity, the reforms we are proposing were ignored. prosperity hides all matters of sin, but no longer. we have to rise to the highest expectations of our people and bring them lasting change they have long, long fought for and desired. there is no hierarchy in these reforms, they are all vital. our fiscal reforms will bring real and blasting change and, by cutting our bureaucracy, by merging agencies that replicate services, public tracking of agency performance, and long-

term strategy for fiscal discipline and management. [applause] i have asked our new lieutenant governor to take the lead in a four-year plan for fiscal recovery. it is the most reasonable way that we can actually bring state spending into line and government into the right side. it is also the only way to eliminate unnecessary, unfair, and unexpected mandates on local governments, hospitals, school districts and mass-transit. no longer are we going to run new york like a payday loan operation. and yet, i am renewing my call for a spending cap. [applause]

now i know this will be met with a lot of resistance. but i fought 25 years to eradicate the rockefeller drug laws and i will put that same effort into seeing this become a lot even if it has to be passed by constitutional amendment. whether it is this it ministration or the next or the one after that, we have got to find a procedure that cures the spending structure that has an effect of our budget process for the last 20 years. the sooner we do that, the more control we will have a spending, not less. for as you may have observed in the past few weeks, the governor will exercise authority to prevent the state from going into default. you have left me and other governors no choice, so whether it is by veto or delayed spending, i will not let -- i will not write bad checks and we

will not mortgage our children's future. [applause] but the legislature is body of the people. the legislature should have an equal voice in deciding to hold spending in line with the times. [applause] after we have uncovered the sense of finance, we must address the chronic abuse of power. chronic and continuing experiences of outside influence and inside decay have bred cynicism and scorn of the people we represent. this is why today i am introducing comprehensive ethics reform, not driven by the illegal acts of any one person,

but instead by what is legal and branded in our entire system of government. [applause] the reform albany act will have as its centerpiece an independent ethics commission that will have jurisdiction over state governments. this commission will have the power to enforce campaign finance, and pay to play, and finally bring jurisdiction and oversight to so-called good government groups to hide their donors behind walls of sanctimony. [applause] the reforma albany agenda will significantly drive down campaign contributions, call for, require openness of outside in comes, will strip public

officials of their pensions who commit felonies, phased in gradually public campaign finance, and impose term limits on state officeholders by constitutional amendment. [applause] now i recognize that there will be significant push back to this legislation. however, when i step back and just think about our role in government, how much more for cited would have been if we had instituted the right procedures to address unethical conduct and at acts that have embarrassed the salt? what has now happened is the public want boulder and morris -- and more decisive initiative to win back their trust.

the goal is to bring fairness and openness to the government which has very little of either. the money interests, many of them here today as guests, have got to understand that their days of influence in this capital are numbered. they have routinely demanded special treatment without any regard for others. no one person or group is above and the others or more deserving of any more hardship and pain. the reality is there is no moral high ground on trampling on others to get there and there is nothing lower than engaging in the currency of insolence to the detriment of other yorkers that do not have the same representation. [applause] the third protocol in our desire

to rebuild n.y. is that we bring our economy back to the greatness that once held. with a focus on jobs for the new economy, for manufacturing, meeting the energy standards we will need, for the whole idea of putting people back to work and a commitment to helping the yorkers raise themselves up, the fiscal and ethical reforms i have just outlined are integral to new york's economic comeback. we can attract businesses only if they believe in the integrity of state government. we can initiate job creation as long as our credit rating is strong. we can be competitive on property taxes if and only if we can keep spending down. we can restore money to school districts by alleviating the

budget -- the budget bubble caused our economic bubble in the first place. to pull this all together, we are going to need an economic plan that actually suits the issues of our times provides the jobs in new yorkers seek. no longer can we say all roads lead to new york. for, in the end, we're going to need the innovations, ideas, and ingenuity to be there as well. unfortunately, our enterprise zone program is no longer working. as i said last year, we're going to put it where it belongs -- in the past. we are no longer going to provide tax credits for businesses that do not provide the jobs we were promised. [applause]

instead, we will replace it with the exiles your program. this will be a new eight -- b x else your program. this will focus on the clean energy and high tech growth jobs of tomorrow. -- the xl see your program. this will be sustainable, one that we will all be proud of because it will be open and it will be transparent. to develop this program, we went all around the state seeking out business leaders that would give us advice in all communities. we have come back with regressive initiatives targeted for growth industries like clean energy, broadband, information systems, and biotechnology. this, combined with our 45 by 15 energy plan and a $25 million investment in a new

technological fund for entrepreneurs will create the kind of encouragement for capital investment, will spur innovation, and create tens of thousands of jobs to go along with that 50,000 jobs that will be realized from our great 45 by 15 energy plan which converts to clean and renewable energy sources. we could not have got there unless a previous governor had already converted us to 20% three times the national average and he joins us today -- gov. george pataki. [applause] the excelsior jobs programs will be the centerpiece of the most aggressive jobs creation agenda in our state's history.

but it's only one piece. we are emerging in new york and all around the globe for an economy, and emerge economy, one based on knowledge, technology and innovation. we're poised to lead its economy and we shall lead. we will create and we will support the environment oven, which is why our administration -- the environment and investment, which is why are the station was to bring things to for states technological of all men. the five largest companies -- technology -- technological development. the five largest technology companies that exist in your average about $11 billion worldwide in research and development. the research and development tax credit will incentivize them to put more reese -- more resources into new york and have better relationship with our universities, both public and private. there is one challenge which is

right now holding as back from the leadership in the economy that we feel -- but we feel we have an immediate solution. simply put, is the transfer and sharing of information from research and development institutions along with sources of investment. but for very little part of the public's money, very little taxpayer investment, we will be able to harness our government, to marshal our command over technology, data, and our relationship with the university community to create a free and open exchange of ideas that will bring these ideas to market. there are many cutting edge concept on the table just waiting to be developed into the engine of our economic future. we will also go back to the

historic manufacturing industry and make it whole again. with tax credits and also with retrofits for small businesses, with paper -- with a reformed power for jobs program and a cutting edge and ground-breaking concept of buying up, retrofitting, and reselling of banded manufacturing sites. in addition -- [applause] we will not forget the hundreds of thousands of trades and manufacturing and construction jobholders who will be by " to our revitalizing -- who will be vital to revitalizing this process. we also have to address the decades in which upstate new york has suffered in recession, long before the rest of we will duet by extending the reach

canal research and development corridor. also, we want to make up state the back office for corporate america, particularly franchise is located downstate. [applause] this region is clearly one that has demonstrated that they have what the rest of the country does not have -- available housing stocks, closed by schools, natural beauty, and the untouched small towns that families would cherish. we have got to go back to promoting it that way. also, the effort we are making for sustainable communities with thousands of housing stocks lean dormant in cities like buffalo, rochester, and syracuse. we will develop that housing stock and to affordable housing starting with buffalo, which

right now has 23,000 vacant units. [applause] earlier today, assembly and right and i attended the funeral of former assemblyman and borough president and entrepreneur, media mogul civil- rights lawyer, and world war two fighter pilot percy sutton. he was a friend and mentor to me, but one who was held in high esteem all around this state and country. but nearly half a century ago, when no one else was talking about, he was a lone voice advocating for the power of economic opportunity as the key to advancement. new york state's economic development program has to make sure that it covers -- that

covers all corners of our boundaries. and it is known historically that women and minority-owned businesses have not had the opportunities or resources from the state to flourish. but i was wondering if you knew how bad it actually was? when i was a candidate for office in 2006, i read a department of economic development report that noted that at that time, women and minority businesses in the areas of state procurement or receiving only 5% in total of the contracts. to be specific, women who are 51.8% of the population and 29.2% of the firms approved in advance got to 0.64% of the contracts. -- got to 0.64% of the contracts. hispanic americans, they had

capital, had been certified, i passed all tests received 0.74% of the contracts. african-americans received 0.66 of the deals. african-american women, 0.13%. i don't even know what fraction that as of 1%, but i knew to start a task force on minority and women businesses and enterprises in june 2008. here are the results -- [applause] we have quadrupled participation and minority firms that are investment-banking and involved the issuance of debt went from 4.2% in 2007 to where they stand now, 23.9%.

[applause] since i have taken office, minority and women firms have yielded $162 million of profits over where they were at that particular time. we do not want them to miss out on the new opportunities involving stimulus money and also our new economy programs, which is why we will synchronize this into any action the state takes. [applause] i was the sitting business leaders in the long island in 2007. they were white business leaders and they said to me how can we get into the program because the state ignores most of us as well? the reality is businesses run by

people of all colors have not been flourishing under new york state government. so in july 2009, we initiated the small business task force. they put their findings on my desk on december 1st of and we're already starting to implement them. the biggest obstacles to small business are startup costs. so we will try a tried and true remedy -- we will inevitably create a revolving loan program so that these engines of our economy, vital as they are, will have the capital they need to thrive. [applause] finally, there are a number of incentives both large and small have put in front of you, including the people first incentive, the one that will allow the hon. news citizens

that come to new york -- allow a vulnerable new citizens that come to your people to find services that they be not have otherwise been aware of. one of the boldest and evers is to rebuild the york assurance exchange. -- new york insurance exchange. by bringing together the buyers and sellers of complex insurance, the exchange will reaffirm our status as the focal point of international trade and finance. it will also curtail the transactions, the types of transactions that were unregulated that decimated the global economy. new york, being at the epicenter of so much that had terribly wrong in 2008, we as new yorkers have to take responsibility for america and around the world to take the lead in rebuilding and reform of these vital, global

markets. [applause] so this is the state of the state as it will be. we will come full circle from the chaos of our own state budget to rebuilding our state and our country pursuant to the chaos of a national meltdown. the plan i have put before you is a plan that will make us stronger, it will grow our economy, and new yorkers back to work. who would have ever imagined on that cold day in january, 2007, that we would be faced with so many challenges trying to rebuild and restore faith? but here we are with the scars to prove it. some say we will not succeed. the stories are written and the ending is ordained.

a story lines change and people change. when i spoke on television to new yorkers in july, 2008, i warned a withering economy would drive costs up and revenues down. the faster we address this, the stronger and sooner we would recover from this crisis. there are those who said there was not a crisis and when it hit, there were others who still refused to act. but i say to all of you today, there is still time to rebuild the empire state. [applause] i say to the elected members of the legislature, work with me, all of me, so that new york can't turn the corner. i know a lot about adversity and mistakes can be made. but if you stand true to your

principles and honestly accept reality for what it is, you can get to a better place. because there is always an opportunity to remake ourselves and our state, that is the promise of new york. new yorkers have arisen from economic perils before. new yorkers have rebuilt after disasters natural and man-made. but every time the capacity of our hope has been questioned, every time our faith this challenge, every time we have come to a bill that seems to steep, we have demonstrated an undeniable ability to achieve and a desire and determination to ignore. and so, once again, we have to rebuild. but we will reignite the engine of our economy. we will be able to win back the

public trust of the people we represent. and we will rebuild the york. but the have to work together. in these times of struggle, i remember the enduring faith of a child who grew up in a world of darkness and chooses to believe in something bigger than himself or herself and, despite the ever city and the doubt to others, they confine strike and humility and perseverance. and so can all of us. thank you for attending. thank you for listening. god bless all of you and god bless the people of new york. [applause]

>> here is what is ahead on c- span -- california gov. arnold schwarzenegger and his state of the state speech. later, a look at the recent protests in iran. >> this is the most requested picture from the national archives -- president nixon opening bell was presley to the white house in 1970. what were the circumstances behind a photo? what was it like in the room when it was taken? we will get answers from two people who were there -- a white house aide and music industry professionals. watch that life from the national archives, this evening on c-span. >> "in that we trust" on chairman ben bernanke on the

role he played in the economic collapse in 2008. the book will be discussed with a former federal reserve vice chairman and director of the congressional budget office. part of "book tv" on c-span2. >> the new c-span video library and archive of the c-span's the library from barack obama to ronald reagan and everyone in between. over 157,000 hours of video on c-span. it is fast and free. tryout at -- new line >> california governor arnold schwarzenegger in a state of the state speech today. this is from sacramento and runs about half an hour. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you.

thank you. thank you very much. thank you, said that pro tem, speaker, attorney-general brown, treasurer, secretary of state, controller, the insurance commissioner, superintendent of public instruction, members of the board of equalization, all of my cabinet secretaries, my chief of staff, members of the legislature. it is good to see everyone here together again. i would like to introduce a few guests i have in the gallery -- my wife and first lady, with our four children. [applause]

[applause] >> my friend, secretary joe -- my friend, secretary george shultz and his wonderful wife, . [applause] and another friend, mayor willie brown, who once was speaker willie brown at one. . [applause] alice hoffman, president of the california naacp. [applause]

the speaker -- [applause] will also have chancellor jack scott, our community college chancellor. a big hand to him also. thank you for your great work. [applause] then we have a very, very special guest -- someone who overcame great obstacle to pass a bar exam and become an attorney. let's give a special big hand to the great work she has been doing. [applause]

i want to begin with a true story from which we can draw it worthwhile lesson. as you may guess, the schwarzenegger household is something of a menagerie. an austrian bodybuilder, a tv journalist, for children, a dog, a goldfish, hamster and so forth. in recent years, we added a miniature pony and potbellied pig. it's not unusual for me to look up from working on a budget on something and find the page and pony standing right there in front of me staring at me. [laughter] the dog food, which we keep in a canister with a screwed on lead sits on top of the dog kennel. the pony has learned how to talk a -- to knock the canister of the kennel and then he and the pig will sit in the corner. there is a rich and the lid of a canister and paid pushes the

ridge around and around until it loosens up. then there will the cannister around on the floor until the food all spells out and then they go to town and eat it. i have no idea how they figured all this out to tell you the truth. it is like humans figuring out how to create fire. but it's the greatest example of teamwork and i love it. it is about teamwork. so one lesson to draw from the pig and the pony story is what we can accomplish when we work together. last year, we hear in this room did some great, great work together. we had a pig and pony year. i want to make sure now that before some reporter writes that i compared the legislature to pigs and ponies that is not the message. the message is about working together -- teamwork. together, as a team come as fractured, tentative, and uncertain that might have been,

together we got california to the front and of the worst financial crisis since the great depression. although not without pain, we closed the budget gap of $60 billion plus. these decisions were very hard for both sides of the aisle. on the republican side, we have leaders to sacrifice their careers and of the democratic side, we had democratic leaders threatened by their own groups. . we did what we had to do. we made painful spending cuts. we passed temporary tax increases. we permanently eliminated colas for most state programs. we made major reforms in welfare and parole. and there are two accomplishments in particular i want to recognize. just last night the assembly passed major educational reform, reform that once seemed impossible, but now will become law as soon as it hits my desk.

for too many years, too many children were trapped in low-performing schools. the exit doors may as well have been chained. now, for the first time, parents -- without the principal's permission -- have the right to free their children from these destructive schools. that is a great freedom. also in the past, parents had no power to bring about change in their children's schools. but that will now change. parents will now have the means to get rid of incompetent principals and take other necessary steps to improve their children's education. to increase accountability, we broke down the firewall so that teacher performance can be linked to student performance. [applause] >> so that's a great, great accomplishment and congratulations to all who did this great work. another major accomplishment: for decades this state was in a literal war over water, with old and deep divisions

û northern california versus southern california, democrat versus republican, farmer versus environmentalist, business versus labor. and the list goes on and on. we here in this room made history with the most comprehensive water package in nearly half a century. we brought all stakeholders together. by workinging to we got it done. and now we must work to pass the $11 billion in water bonds that will be on the ballot in november. democrats and republicans will have to travel up and down the state to educate the people of california why those bonds are so important. because some people say how can we afford those bonds in the current economic climate? i say, how can we not? it is the law that you cannot build a school, you cannot build a factory, you cannot build an office building or a housing development without identifying a source of water. as a result, huge projects

with thousands of jobs have been put on hold. our economy cannot grow without water. our population cannot live without water. without water. it is our state's lifeblood. w is exactly the time to invest in it, so that when californians turn on the faucet, there is safe, reliable and clean water coming out the tap -- not just five years from now but 30, 40 or 50 years. from now. that is so important. now let's talk about the coming year. if i had to summarize in one word our focus for the coming year, it would be the word "priorities." we have to get them straight and we have to keep them straight. the first priority for the coming year is to get the economy and get jobs back. jobs, jobs, jobs. [applause]

the people and businesses of california are an engine of self-betterment and progress. as long as government keeps the engine oiled with prudent policies, and, more importantly, does not pour sand in its gears, this state will persevere and prosper. i will come to the main thing we can do to help the economy in a moment, but there are four proposals to spur job growth that i will introduce. first, you will receive a $500 million jobs package that we estimate could train up to 140,000 workers and help create 100,000 jobs. second, you will receive a measure to streamline the permitting of construction projects that already have a completed environmental report. third, to stimulate other construction jobs, you will receive a proposal for homebuyer tax credits of up to $10,000 for the purchase of new or existing homes.

[applause] and fourth, since we want california to be the dynamo of green technology, i ask you to pass our proposal exempting the purchase of green tech manufacturing equipment from the sales tax. that, too, means jobs -- [applause] jobs for the new economy. while we still have a long way to go, the worst is over for california's economy. and the really good thing is that we have the right economic mix going forward -- high tech, green tech, biotech, hollywood-tech, farmer-tech and so forth. our economy is well-positioned to take advantage of the future. so let me tell you the main thing that we here in this chamber can do to help the economy and jobs. we can be a better partner to the economy. because the state and government has a responsibility not to be an obstacle to success but to be a partner in prosperity.

to strengthen the economy which is the foundation of all jobs, we here in this chamber must reform california's budget and tax system. that would be a huge stimulus. the basic problem is that our tax system does not reflect our economy. in 2009, california's economic growth declined only by 2.8%, but our tax revenues were down more than eight times that much. our economy is diverse, whereas our tax system is not. 144,000 taxpayers pay almost 50 percent of all personal income taxes. think about it. 38 million californians have to rely on 144,000 people for their schools, their fire protection, their health care, their public safety and many other services. that makes no sense. here is what we need to accept: our economy is 21st century,

but our tax system is 20th century. it's stuck in the wrong century. the tax reform commission did its work and came up with a plan for reform that was praised by both willie brown and "the wall street journal". how often does that happen? [laughter] the commission proposed major, radical reforms. some people say they are too bold and thus they would be too hard to enact. what do they mean too bold? bold is what we do in california. what do they mean too hard? if i had hesitated in my career every time i made a move because it was hard i would still be yodeling in austria. [laughter] we must begin work on these tax reforms because we simply cannot wait for the rich to bounce back. state revenues are not expected to return to where they were until 2013 to 2014.

i sent you the tax reform commission's plan in late september, but it seems to have disappeared under this dome. where is it? maybe the pig and the pony have taken it. that's where it is. but you know something, i'm looking forward to working with the legislature to get this done. budget reform is just as important. this is something i've been talking about since i've become governor of this great state. the budget crisis is our katrina. we knew it was coming. we've known it for years. and yet sacramento would not reinforce the economic levees. in addition to taking action on the tax commission's plan, i ask you to also take action on the best practices budget accountability act, which has been drafted by the reform group, california forward. under the leadership of bob hertzberg of course. i especially support its proposals for performance-based budgeting

and applying one-time spikes in revenues to one-time uses, such as debt reduction, infrastructure, and creating a rainy day fund. the leaders of this body have said and said it many times that the legislature should be given a chance to enact reforms before reforms go directly to the people. here is that chance. i urge you to take it. and as we struggle to overcome our differences, what i ask you to remember is that the current tax and budget system is cruel. i tell you why i say that. it is cruel because it is forcing us to make a sophie's choice among our obligations. which child do we cut? the poor one? the sick one? the uneducated one? the one with special needs? that is cruel. we overcame the divisions on water. i know we can also overcome our obstacles and divisions on tax reform and the tax

system and the budget system. let's do it. i will address our immediate budget situation more fully in a few days when i present my budget but let me just give you an overview. we face a $19.9 billion deficit: $6.6 billion for the rest of this budget year and $13.3 billion for the upcoming budget year. big picture, let me tell you what will be required. first, as bitter as the words are in my mouth, we face additional cuts. we know what that means. we know the pain it entails. what can we say at this point except the truth, that we have no choice. but i am drawing this line. because our future economic well-being is so dependent upon education, i will protect education funding in this budget. [applause]

and we can no longer afford to cut higher education either. [applause] the priorities have become out of whack over the years. i mean, think about it. thirty years ago, 10% of the general fund went to higher education and 3% went to prisons. today almost 11% goes to prisons and only 7% goes -- only 7 and a half percent goes to higher education. spending 45% more on prisons than universities is no way to proceed into the future. [applause] what does it say about a state that focuses more on prison uniforms than caps and gowns? it simply is not healthy. i will submit to you a constitutional

amendment so that never again do we spend a greater percentage of our money on prisons than on higher education. [applause] the way we get this done is to find more cost-effective ways to run our prison system and allows private prisons to compete with public prisons. competition and choice are always good. california spends $50,000 per prisoner. by comparison, the ten largest states spend $32,000. they spend less, and yet you do not see federal judges taking over their prison health care. why do we have to spend so much more than they do? if california's prisons were privately run, it would save us billions of dollars a year. that's billions of dollars that could go back to higher education where it belongs and where it better serves our future. [applause]

choosing universities over prisons -- this is a historic and transforming realignment of california's priorities. if you have two states and one spends more on educating and one spends more on incarcerating, in which state's economy would you invest? i ask you to make the right choice for california. another major item is this: federal funds have to be part of our budget solution because the federal government is part of our budget problem. when president clinton was in office, california got back 94 cents on the dollar from the federal government. today we get only 78 cents back. texas gets 94 cents. pennsylvania gets $1.07. alaska, with all its oil, gets back $1.84 for every dollar. and guess what new mexico gets $2.03. this should be more fair and equitable.

we are not looking for a federal bailout, just federal fairness. [applause] californians carry also a special burden since we are a border state. the federal government alone controls immigration policy, it alone controls border security. while acknowledging its responsibility, the federal government is not even funding a 50-50 split of the costs of undocumented immigrants. we no longer can ignore what is owed to us or what we are forced to spend on federal mandates. we are currently owed billions of dollars by the federal government for various different programs. we need to work with the feds so that we can fix the flawed formula that demands that the states spend money that we do not have. and now congress is about to

pile billions more onto california with the new health care bill. now, as you know, while i enthusiastically supported health care reform, it is not reform to push more costs onto states that are already struggling while other states are getting sweetheart deals. health care reform, which started as noble and needed legislation, has become a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes. yet you've heard of the bridge to nowhere. this is healthc are tare to now. state. california's congressional delegation should either vote against this bill that is a disaster for california or get in there and fight for the same sweetheart deal that senator nelson of nebraska got for the cornhusker state. because that senator got for the cornhusker state the corn and we got the husk. [laughter]

now, another priority related to the budget is pension reform. 2,000%. while revenues have only increased by 24%. the pension fund will not have enough money to cover this amount, so the state -- that means the taxpayer -- has to come up with the money. now we are already putting in there every year more than $3 billion for those pensions. that amount will go up to $10 billion and this is money that is taken away from important government services. this is money that cannot go to our universities, our parks and other government functions. now, for current employees these pensions cannot be changed, either legally or morally. we cannot break the promises we already made. it is a done deal. but we are about to get run over by a locomotive. we can see the light coming at us. we can see the lyings coming. -- lights coming.

i ask the legislature to join me in finding the equivalent of a water deal on pensions, so that we can meet current promises and yet reduce the burden going forward. these are serious issues we face. every year, in spite of whatever challenges are before us, i stand up here and tell you how much i believe in california's future. i tell you how much i believe in the dream. how this is the greatest place in the world. some people say "ya, ya, ya, that's just arnold being optimistic." but i am not alone in believing these things. "time" magazine recently did an article about california that sounded like one of my speeches. i would like to read you a few sentences. that "time" magazine wrote. "california is still a dream state. in fact, the pioneering megastate is still the cutting edge of the american future -- economically, environmentally, demographically, culturally, and maybe politically.

it is the greenest and the most diverse state, the most globalized, when the world is heading in all those directions. it's also an unparalleled engine of innovation, the mecca of high tech, biotech and now clean tech. in 2008, california's wipeout economy attracted more venture capital than the rest of the nation combined." so, now do you believe me? you see what i'm saying. this is the greatest place in the world. california has the means and the mind power to solve its problems. sometimes we are just too close to the problems to see the positives, and we need to step back. a couple months ago i was in iraq visiting our men and women in uniform, it's the second time i've been over there and it was a great experience. and of course we have so many of our californians over there serving. i had breakfast with them.

we chatted we worked out. i pumped them up. took pictures with them and they told me all kinds of stories. they've seen experiences that you cannot even believe. many have served tour after tour after tour and as a result, some have lost homes, spouses, limbs and even their lives. too often our soldiers bring back the enemy with them in their heads. we are seeing and hearing all about a lot of this post-traumatic stress syndrome. the suicide rate is disturbing. this country cannot continue living in denial about those things. these men and women need help. [applause] california has more returning veterans than any

other state, so our state, as well as the federal government, has a special responsibility. you will see that in our agenda. we have a fundamental obligation to anyone who has shed or risked blood for this country. that is a priority. [applause] their sacrifice is extraordinary and never fails to inspire me. and if you look to the gallery, you will see some californians wearing the uniform of our country who just came back from iraq and afghanistan so these brave men and women, i say welcome home. welcome home. [applause]

no matter how big the problems are that this state faces, no matter how harsh things may seem to us in the months ahead, those californians in uniform will tell you that this is still the greatest place to come home to, the greatest place to pursue a better life. just ask them how often >> they dreamt of being back here at home in the golden state. so ladies and gentlemen, in closing we in this chamber must fulfill our sacred trust to keep california a great place to come home to, for our men and women in uniform,

and for generations of californians yet to come. thank you very much. and god bless all of you. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> this is the most-requested

picture from the national archives -- president nixon welcoming elvis to the white house in 1970. what with the circumstances behind the photograph? today at 7:00 p.m. eastern we will get some of the answers from to the world people that were there -- two people who were there. was that live in the national archives this evening here on c- span. "in fed we trust," from "the wall street journal" economics editor on the role of ben bernanke. he will discuss his vote with the former federal reserve vice chair and first director of the congressional budget office. after words, part of booktv on c-span2. >> the video archive it is over 150,000 hours of video.

it is fast and free. try it out c-span.org. >> on tamara's "washington journal", bob cusack looks at this year's elections. the economic policies institute talks about income and equality. i use it -- a look at the health care system, live beginning at 7:00 a.m. eastern time. now part of today's "washington journal" where we discussed recent anti-government protests in iran. this is 40 minutes. host: kenneth timmerman is here to discuss what is happening in iran. secretary of state hillary clinton addressed the issue yesterday. here's what she said >>. >> we have avoided using the

term deadline. we want to keep the door to dialogue open. we have also made it clear we cannot continue to wait. we cannot continue to stand by when the iranians talk about increasing their production of highly enriched uranium and additional facilities for nuclear power that very likely could be put to dual use. host: here is the headline in "the washington times." what is your reaction? guest: the iranians have been trying to play out the clock on this for many years. every opportunity that they did, they will continue to do that. their goal remains constant, and that is to develop nuclear weapons capability. whether or not they build nuclear weapons is another story. we know they want the

capability. we know they have enough nuclear weapons material to construct approximately two bombs, if they choose to do so. we are just talking about whether or not, united states is prepared to live with a nuclear iran. every signal sent by washington is that we are prepared to deal with a nuclear iran. host: what about china saying yesterday that they will not consider sanctions on iran? guest: it is no surprise. the chinese have never indicated they would be favorable to sanctions. those who believe they would be are deluding themselves. the russians have been slightly more amenable. the only reason they have been amenable, according to my information, is because they got a wake up call this summer when the iranian regime apparently pulled a fast one on them in an attempt to smuggle missiles on the arctic sea to iran without the explicit approval of the

russian government. this is why netanyahu went to moscow secretly in september. it was quite a controversial story. that appears to have changed mr. putin's thinking somewhat. he will go along with sanctions to a certain degree. he will not go along with helping any outside effort to topple the regime. host: secretary of state hillary clinton said they will move forward on sanctions if iran does not respond. ahmadinejad has said you can give us all the deadlines you want, but we do not care about deadlines. what is this administration talking about when it comes to tougher sanctions? guest: that is a good question peter yet i can tell you what the congress is doing. the administration does not like that. i can tell you what other outside groups are doing.

this administration does not seem to like that either. host: what are congress and outside groups doing? guest: congress has passed two bills over the past six months, which i think are very positive. you have one that was championed by senator mccain and senator lieberman. it was signed into law by the president. it includes money to help victims of iranian censorship. in other words, to provide technology so protesters can get around censorship of the regime. this will enable the pro- democracy movement to be able to organize. that's a very positive thing. the administration does not like it, but the president signed into law. the proof is how the money is spent. my foundation applied in the bush administration to help the

pro-democracy movement in iran. we were told exclusively that they did not want to do think tanks and studies. they wanted this money to go right into iran. we said we can help you do that. so we put in a proposal to do essentially was going on right now, which is internet human rights monitoring, to flood the country with tiny little video cameras and have secure internet portals where they can get the information out. the state department professionals got ahold of that and said it was way too provocative. so let's do think tanks and studies. the proof is in the pudding. host: about the unrest in iran, how does that tie into the negotiations over its nuclear ambitions and what moves the u.s. makes and other countries make? guest: it is interesting. i think ahmadinejad is playing a

very canny game. this is somebody who thrills in his defiance of the outside world. @@k@ @ @ @ @ e t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; >> i think they have used the demonstrations to play out the clock. remember, president obama came into office saying he would open negotiations without preconditions. immediate stretched from january 20 to october 1. and so, ahmadinejad was able to benefit from that. why the administration did not move faster is a story i cannot tell you. host: we were just showing our

audience a video from youtube of the most recent protests. does this weekend the president and the supreme leader? what is the status of both of them? guest: in tehran without any doubt whatsoever, we are seeing the most massive, organized, intense protest movements since the iranian resolutiorevolution. this is not localized in tehran. it is not one segment of the population. it is not just students for young people. it is all across the country. it is in key cities. the leadership of the islamic republic feels the pressure. they're trying to put on a tough face. what you have, which is an interesting development, a

former intelligence officers who now live in germany and other places to identify some of these people guilty of shooting into the crowds, or they have been photographed knifing people. they have identified these people and put their home phone numbers on the internet. this has had a really powerful impact inside iran. there are witches inside the revolutionary guard -- there are wedges opening up inside the revolutionary guard. even inside the supporters of ahmadinejad, the so-called hardliners. there are wedges and things that could be exploited if the united states had an intelligent policy to get rid of this regime. host: what should that be? guest: there are several things. i just got back from a trip in

israel. and when there for the first time in april. i went back eight months later. there was a pretty backedramatic development. the israelis were no longer talking about military action. they were no longer putting the emphasis on the next essential threat to israel of iran's nuclear weapons. they now say, things have changed since june. since the demonstrations, the failed election, the stolen election, things have changed. there's a real serious challenge to the regime from inside. in my book and elsewhere, i used the idea of the two clocks, the nuclear clock and the pro- democracy clock. for the first time, the pro- democracy clock is speeding up. they told me they believe there's a serious chance this regime could go down the three

things were done. one, there are serious, international economic sanctions. they have to be serious. they have to hit the regime hard. host: how do you do that? guest: you could do it through iran. you could also doing it through a cooperation of willie nations. germany continues to sell $5 billion of high-tech of the goods to iran. that is a lifeline to go iranian regime. that's the thing that needs to be reduced. in the other bill that congress has passed, that the president does not want to sign, would impose sanctions on companies that sell refined petroleum products. iran, which is one of the world's biggest oil exporting countries, does not make all its gas products.

the import about 40% of its refined petroleum products. this is a choke point for the iranian regime. , said let's impose sanctions on companies that are selling refined sellingto iran. that would have a serious impact on the regime. the first thing is economic sanctions. the second is some hope for the pro-democracy movement. that does not mean military action. start with moral support. the president of the united states using his bully pulpit, as george bush did, to say we support the rights of the iranian people to freely elected government of their choosing. president obama has never said this. president obama waited so long after the protests in june to say anything about the harsh crackdown and murder of demonstrators in the streets that some of the subsequent demonstrations began to challenge him by name. you could hear the chants in the streets.

obama, obama are you with us or against us? some support from the united states. delegitimizing their regime. the third things the thi is to s keep a military threat on the table. not a threat, but you have the demonstrating capability. they have conducted two long- range aggressive operations to demonstrate a capability they have never demonstrated before. that is, there airforce is capable of carrying out a strike that would hit land targets. host: ken timmerman is our guest with us this morning.

theresa on the democratic line, go ahead. caller: i am basing my question on time i have spent with iranians in the united states. studying nuclear technology in the 1970's -- bay our students here. the united states welcome them here. in the 1980's in iran, the sanctions that i experienced there in the home of an iranian who welcome to me in, he sat a pint of milk on the table. when i finished drinking it, he says, yes, you have a big american appetite. you just drink my baby's milk for the week. i think he did it for stock fell you -- shock value. of course, he tried to cram

democracy down their throats and asked them to stop growing their own food. that is mainly what the students revolt. we have had two warships off the coast of iran while i was there in defense of the rough. -- in defense of iraq. i'm really afraid that when the iranians get here because they're looking for the freedom and democracy that we will not even have here anymore because of people like you. i do not think freedom is what you want for them. i think you do want democracy. i'm still looking for a book. when i was a student at the university of davis in california, the book "democracy

must periodically be eighthbathebathed in blood." host: an opinion piece in "the new york times" today. it says protests shows a desire for change, but not received change. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] -- guest: she raises a couple of interesting points. let me first say that the u.s. sanctions, the international sanctions, never impacted iranian food products, medical products, a humanitarian goods, and they still do not to this day.

there's no shortage of milk in iran. that is just not true. if it is a shortage, it is a shortage created by the regime and their own inefficiencies. neither the united states, france, or germany can cram the mackdemocracy down somebody's throat this is ridiculous. most people that i have met over the past 30 years -- i have spent a lot of time there. most people aspire to be freed. i do not know why anybody would aspire to be anything but free. they are faced with these regimes that enslave their women, given no future to their children come and steal the fortunes of their countries.

no wonder the middle east is so underdeveloped. as for the writer, his a former cia analyst who was then the tell the to the national security council. he worked during the first two years thain the bush 43 administration. and then he invented the story, which was truly astonishing, that there had been an effort, and offered by the iranian regime to negotiate some kind of global settlement with the united states. it turns down that the so-called offer was the pure invention of the swiss ambassador in tehran, and was delivered by april regime activist in the united states, and was never taken

seriously by anybody of the state department. he continues to insist that we missed a great opportunity to negotiate a great deal with iran. he has also spread the these lies that the iranian regime was cooperating with us after 9/11, and we just never seized that opportunity to work together. the facts on the ground were much different. it's really a matter of public record. after the september 11 attacks, the u.s. military, our satellite intelligence and the rest pick up convoys to evacuate al-qaeda members out of afghanistan into iran. they were evacuating hundreds

and thousands of al-qaeda and family members by aircraft and by land into iran. i do not see that as cooperating with the united states. host: he was on the host "washington journal" recently. you can go to c-span.org to hear him in his own words. caller: i am a veteran. when i was there, we had allowed the mek case. i recently read that we close to

that base. they were on our terrorists list. we were working with them. i was wondering if closing that based increased reaction in iran. not just want a monopoly for killing people in the middle east? we do not let anybody. . thank you. guest: the interesting thing about the base -- it was set up by saddam hussein. the reason -- you can be pro regime or anti resume today in iran. everybody hated saddam hussein. everybody has bad memories of the iran-iraq war. they took their operation to saddam. i think they discredited

themselves in the eyes of the iranian people. the iranian regime has repeatedly asked the united states to close the base in iraq. they say this is a condition for better relations between the two of us. so we closed the base and what happens? nothing. the iranians continue to work withhgsdhuu agents in iraq that were running these networks killing american soldiers and planting ied's. we just released to them and allowed them to get out. we essentially told the iranians, you may continue to conduct terror attacks against

u.s. troops with impunity. caller: good morning. thank you for c-span. i wish brian a lot of love to get cameras into the series of hearings on health care. i'm concerned about having -- our american service people fighting, dying, and coming back crippled from its worsthe wars. the media will not even acknowledge we're in pakistan. i would like to know where you get your funding for your democracy in iran group. do you get funding from the cia? are you in constant contact with these people to get this vast amount of information that you dealknow?

guest: i do not get funding. we do not have any funding. we began in 1995 as a nonprofit foundation. we began with a grant from the national endowment for democracy, which lasted for two years. it was supposed to be a seed grant. they are notoriously reluctant to fund any kind of opposition activities because they have been cheated so often. i can understand that. everything then we do is done on a voluntary basis. there is 0 funding. host: this is a headline on c- span.org. -- this is a headline on cnn.com. are you on the list?

guest: we are no. 29 on that list. there are some left-wing groups. there is a center for american progress on the list. it is quite astonishing. host: how did this list, about, and when did it start? guest: we have been identified many times in the iranian state run media as a cia front. apparently, this caller from new york thinks that we are as well. anyone who thinks it operates on something other than the profit motive must be working for the cia. there are other motivations. sometimes people believe in things. host: what is your motivation? guest: i believe in freedom. host: why iran? guest: is a long, personal story. my wife and i met in paris during the revolution. we had friends and family

members going back to iran at that time. i fell in love with the people. i fell in love with the region. i spent many years in the general region, not iran itself. it is something that grows on you. we are so privileged in the united states. it is only when you have freedoms taken away, or you go to a place where you see the freedoms have been taken away that i found as a young american in the 1980's, that i would appreciate the value of my freedoms in this country. i thought it was something worth helping other people to achieve. host: next phone call on the democratic line. good morning. caller: you seem to have such a great knowledge of iran. why don't you talk about the recent nuclear trigger document that former cia agent said was a forgery?

it was forced by israel or britain. why don't you talk about the 16 intelligence agencies in america that have flatly stated that they can find no nuclear program going on in iran for a bomb? guest: the agency is not known to be aggressive in investigating clandestine nuclear weapons program anywhere. it has repeatedly stated in its official report that they cannot resolve a number of issues in iran's declarations. they cannot resolve information discrepancies. they cannot get documents from iran involving whether it is the nuclear weapons trigger or other documents. they have said on the record we cannot rule out a nuclear weapons program in iran. this is not something the iaea

likes to do. when the organization says they cannot certify is a civilian program, you know something serious is going on. add to that the other information we are getting. there was an iranian defector who came in in 2004 with a laptop that contained a number of blueprints that have been looked at by intelligence agencies around the world, including many in europe, and authenticated. they appeared to be a nuclear warhead designs. there have been power point presentation is that have shown that a closed door meeting in february of last year at the iaea show the progress reports on iran's nuclear weapons work. .

caller: it seems like this is just another one of the drum beats towards some type of insurgency in iran. some type of information around constantly about -- in the news. as far as this man being a concerned about freedom in countries, there are a lot of people in africa who like to be free. i do not hear you talking about them. they did not cry about going into africa to improve conditions. i would like to know specifically what your recipe is for iran. do you have one? or are you just trying to build up the case against iran? because israel has nuclear

weapons. and they are close to the run. i imagine our ron feels fairly threatened by that. and also pakistan has nuclear weapons. but we do not want iran to have nuclear weapons. it sort of makes sense. way back in 1950, that we overthrew, i heard that the cia helped us overthrow the existing leader in iran. ever since then, they have been paranoid about us. but we are essentially taking over the middle east is what is happening. it looks like you are one of the people who wants to do that. what is your recipe for iran and what to you intend that we should do? guest: the good news about iran is that there is a broadbased pro-freedom of movement. nobody needs to take over the run. the recipe is to help the iranian people take over their own country, to regain control

of their own country. country. many of my iranian friends talk about the occupation of iran by islam. iran is not an islamic country to begin with pared -- to begin with. they believe the downfall of persian culture was really by the influence of islam. that is one of you. an iranian view, not my personal view. the good news is you have the broad based probe democracy movement. it includes dissident cleric. when i set up the foundation for democracy in iran in 19951 of the founding members was a dissident cleric. i believed to very profoundly that there are fractured lines within the traditional kurds. in iran that can be exploited. traditional clerics actually hit the regime and reject the receipt -- regime. they believe it is un-is lahman. one fractured line. people inside the revolutionary

guard who don't like the with the regime is going. they are also willing at a certain point, i believe, to take action should the violence become such -- host: what kind of action? guest: at it obviously remains to be seen. but there has been a lot of talk in iran and the last couple of months, especially the revolutionary guards, closed- door meetings that i have heard about from people who were personally present, a real crisis of conscience. people saying, this is not why we made the revolution, to turn the guns on the people. we are killing the sons and daughters of the revolution. ahmadinejad is making it happen, how many -- khameni is making it happen. that is really the good news of the country. i believe ultimately that will win out. host: explain how the iranian

government works. the difference between the president, supreme leader, etc.? guest: i hate to say it, but there is no constitutional recipe. the way it is supposed to work is not the way it works today. the way it is supposed to work the supreme leader has the power and the president is elected as a figurehead, he appoints the cabinet and cabinet is approved by the parliament and they do the day-to-day affairs of the government and the supreme leader is kind of up there in law law land and looking down with his supremely -- with his regal view, kind of looking down on the world from on high. it is not the way it happens. today khameni is personally in control of the army and intelligence service, of a good deal of the economic activity inside iran but he is forced to share that with a fraction of the revolutionary guards loyal to ahmadinejad.

ahmadinejad as president has amassed much more power than any other president in every history of the islamic republic. so he has kind of broken through a constitutional barriers that would prevent him to have access to law enforcement and intelligence sources. khameni, he needs him, that is why he supported the election putsch but he fears them -- and interesting cleavages that can be exploited. host: robert on the republican line from missouri. good morning. caller: i am kind of along the same line of the previous caller -- this government really doesn't support democracy in iran because of the last democratic government they had, we overthrew. we overthrew them because of oil.

our government was requested by britain, bp was nationalized by iran and they refused to lower -- the iranian government wanted to renegotiate the contract to get a better deal for the iranian people. so, the cia intervened and created a scene where the government is overthrown and we've installed this shah. the reports are now, the unrest, the latest thing, when he was there he was very oppressive to the people of iran and stall by our government. host: what is your question or comment? guest: what the government of

iran wants to do now is level the playing field because we have backed israel for so long, that they have been of boley in that area. that area. host: let us get our guests guest: i have to agree with the caller that the u.s. administration does not support iran. i would hope that president obama would rethink that strategy and that instead of siding with ahmadinejad and reaching out to him and to the oppressive leadership, he would support the people. i want to say a point about the shah's human-rights record. amnesty international, which was never a friend of the shah of iran, wrote many reports about the oppressive regime. he concluded there were4350

judicial ---- there were 350 judicial killings during his reign. >> we are leaving the last few minutes of "washington journal" from this morning to go live to discussion on the 1970 meeting between president richard nixon and elvis. . .

you'll also find in the lobby brochures about other national archives programs. another way to get them all is to become a member of the foundation of the national archives. the foundation supports the work of the agency, a suspiciously -- especially education and outreach programs. no one with tonight's program. 39 years ago last month, elvis presley, the most famous popular singer of this time, appeared at the white house gate. he handed the guard of letter for the president of the united states and ask to meet him. the letter was whisked into the white house and within hours the king of rock-and-roll and the leader of the free world were meeting in the oval office.

the official white house photograph of richard nixon and elvis presley in the oval office is one of the most requested images from the national archives. if you have not visited our shop, i encourage you to do so were you can buy your own reproduction of that. [laughter] in several different formats. tonight you will hear about that famous meeting from two and his eye witnesses. i director -- our moderator is timothy naftali, director of the richard nixon presidential library. in 2007, he became the director of the library after was transfer act -- transferred to the national archives private foundation. since then he has seen the completion and the increase of public participation in that

library. we have released nearly 400 hours of nixon tapes and pages of nixon material. he is nearly completing installation of an installation on watergate based on the oral history accounts. and he has managed the library through two earthquakes and a major fire. before this, he taught at the university of virginia. he was also director of their presidential recordings program at the manner -- the miller center of public affairs. he appears frequently in media and is the author and co-author of several books. in his most recent book, "george herbert walker bush," it appeared in 2007. he holds a degree in history from yale and economics from john hopkins and a master's in

history from harvard. i turn this evening over to him. [applause] >> thank you, david. he has been with us a few months and has made great change and we are pleased to have them at the national archives. it is much warmer here. this is an away game for me and i am awfully cold. first of all, please join me in welcoming eagle but grow -- egil krogh and jerry schilling. gentleman. bud krogh was deputy to the

council of the president. he oversight bill -- he oversaw the war on drugs. he is perhaps the man most responsible for getting medical detect -- matt detectors into american airports. >> sorry. [laughter] >> no, it was a good start. jerry schilling was a close friend of elvis presley for 23 years and he worked for him for 10. it is also a veteran of the music industry. you are about to find out -- each man are superb rock into ours, so we're going to start. >> jerry, set this up for us. you are in los angeles and you're not working for office.

1971, what is eldest doing flying by himself with a credit card? >> i did not have a clue. i get this call, a, and i go, who is this? and then i knew what was elvis. where are you? and he said he was at the airport. i did not know where he was. who is with you? elvis presley always traveled with an entourage. and he said nobody. he said, i do not want anybody in the world to know where i am. and he started giving his flight numbers, what time he was coming and, things that he he almost never did. that was the start of me picking him up at lax on a saturday night about 130 in the morning.

the next couple of days were quite interesting. >> he told me that he wanted you to pick him up at the airport. how often did he travel long? >> this is the only time in the 23 years -- and that 20 years. not only was he not alone, but fight guys at minimum, he has never bought an airline ticket. he has people telling him to get to the airport. i did not know what mission he was on. i am not quite sure he knew to the extent of the mission he was on. but he was on a mission. >> it felt like running home -- running away from home a little bit. he only had one credit card. >> yes, and al was has been

known as a generous guy. -- and tell us -- elvis has been known as a generous guy. when i realize that that was the only person in the world who knew where elvis presley was, i could not go to sleep. he goes to sleep, and the next day is sunday, and we get up and we have coffee at his old home in l.a. -- two friends just catching back up. in that conversation, he said he was just at graceland and he said that people were telling me how to spend my money. vernon presley and priscilla presley were always kind of looking out for him. and when the colonel got involved, elvis just got into

his car, i think. he went to the airport and had an american express. i think he took the first flight out and he wound up here in the same >> was he carrying guns with them? >> always. [laughter] [unintelligible] >> i had raised the metal detector is you. what happened on the blame? >> as i learned the next day, when he got to washington, he checked into the hotel washington and he was like, what do i do now? that is when he called me and went back to the airport and went back to dallas. he got in touch with me, and he said what happened is, he was really upset about people

telling him how to spend his money. i did not know he had gotten to washington until the next day, but what happened is when he changed planes in dallas, he said there was a smart alec with the mustache that came up to me and said -- i could not imagine this a day -- came up to me and said, if you cannot carry a gun on the plane. >> it seems reasonable to me. >> and with all due respect and credibility to my friend, he did have a concealed gun permits. he had been collecting badges and we had gone to rifle ranges. there had been threats on his life and we were carrying concealed weapons. anyway, he stormed off the

plane and the pilot came after him, saying, mr. presley, it is ok here you can carry your gun. [laughter] >> he only had three. >> when did it become clear to you when you're in los angeles -- you pick him up and you're going to washington? >> as you said, i was not working for elvis. i had worked for a whole year it abc television in the basement, trying to get in the film. i had just gotten this job at paramount studios. after this nice talk on sunday that elvis and i had come on he said around sunset, you know, jerry, i need you to come to washington with me. and i go, elvis, i cannot.

i have worked this whole year, as you know, to get in the paramount. i have to be at work in the morning. and he was hard to say no to. he looked like a little boy. he said, first of all, i will get a real jet to fly there and back. they were upset with them because he was spending too much money. so i said, elvis, i cannot. and then i thought, man, he had this problem flying on the airlines with the gun and everything. i made a deal with him. i said, elvis, if you'll let me call graceland, your father and priscilla, and let them know you were not kidnapped, where you are, then i will take the all-nighter flight and give one of the security guys to me does,

i can go back and hopefully still have my job. that started the evening of us with no money, elvis never carried money, taking an all- night flight from los angeles to here in d.c. >> did he not take down from one that bob dole won his prize gives? >> this was on hillcrest drive in beverly hills. -- did he not take down from a wall one of his prize gifts? >> yes, there was a world war ii commemorative from normandy. he took it off the wall. he did not give me a reason. i was used to elvis doing things without explaining them to me. he takes the gun with him. i still did not know why we were going to washington.

i was just making the arrangements. i have been so many places with elvis where i did not know where i was going so it was normal. >> you ended up with $500. >> i talked elvis into letting his normal driver take this to the airport. years ago there was a driver for a winston churchill. elvis was a real history buff. he knew his history. so it was sunday night and we had no cash. i did not carry any cash because i did not have any. elvis did not carry any cash because he did not have to. [laughter] i had elvis' checkbook and we found someone who would cash a

check at the beverly hills hotel for $500. we ended up with $500 in my coat. the brown leather jacket that i wore to the white house. i was about as out of my environment that day as i am tonight. anyway, they preboard us on the plane for the all-nighter, and it was christmas time. there were a lot of soldiers coming back from vietnam. and the one to solve elvis would say hello. he got into a real conversation with one soldier, for like 10 minutes. he comes back and i am on the window seat. he goes, where is that money? i knew what was going to happen. [laughter]

so i said what money? he said the $500. i said, we are going to washington and that is all that we have. he said, you do not understand. this man has been in vietnam. he is going back home for christmas to see his family. he gave them the five -- the entire $500. then you find out about senator murphy. i am trying to think how the introduction was made. i don't know if you know. all i know is that center murphy was on the plane with us. he was in coach and we were in first class. [laughter] now i am on government money on coach coming here. but anyway, we had met when murphy came on. i do not know if it had been

from the guy who set up the meeting that elvis was having at the bureau of narcotics and dangerous drugs. but when we were on the flight, about halfway through elvis went back and talk to senator murphy. when he came back, he sat down next to me, and i had never seen elvis presley write a letter. he the only written three in his life at that 0.3 that was in he was in germany in the army. he asked if they had any stationary on the plane. i ask the stored in this -- i ask the stewardess and she brings us some american airlines stationery. he is writing the letter and i respected his privacy. i did not ask him what he was writing the letter about. i am trying to figure out how i am going to get back to my job

without losing it. he then this is the letter and he goes, gerry, would you approve this for me? and i said yes. and i am reading this letter. >> what we look at the first page of that letter? -- why do we not look at the first page of that letter? what was your reaction when you read this letter? >> i have got to tell you, i was pretty impressed. i knew all of this so well in new where his heart was. there is obviously some grammar that could have been corrected, but i thought, you know what? this is the letter of a guy who lives experience the real american story of poverty to probably the most famous guy in the world, who is writing a letter from his heart to his

president. and i said, elvis, i think you should send is just as it is. >> was it clear to you when you read it that elvis wanted to meet the president? >> yes, because he stated it. that was the first that i had heard of it. i did not know why we were going back to washington. >> let's look at another page from this letter and explain to jon burrows says. -- who jon burrows is. >> he was a character elvis played in a movie. it was an alias that his managers sometimes use, colonel parker. you have to picture this -- this is elvis telling the president that he is under an assumed name. [laughter]

in, in need of, -- and god they don't -- incognito, but that is how he should contact him. >> what time did you arrive in washington? >> it was a real red eye. >> what are you going to do there? >> i am thinking, knowing elvis, he will not put it in the mailbox. and i just gave it back to him and he would tell me what he wanted to do with it. i had called a car from l.a. to meet us. i called the lemieux and i got them to set that up for us. thank god. we had no money.

it was before daybreak when we landed. we get into the limo and elvis said i wanted to drop a letter by the white house. and i said, it is not even daylight. let's go to the hotel and freshen up. i had been up two days now. and he said, at no, i really want to deliver that. i want to be there first thing monday morning -- which he was. so we are driving up to the gate. >> the northwest gate. >> i always want called the west wing are something. anyway, he said you just a and the car. elvis gets out of that car and it is becoming don. >> what is he wearing? >> he is wearing a kind of cape

coat. his hair was a little longer even than normal for elvis. and for that time of the morning, it was kind of a dracula look. [laughter] so he gets out and the security guards at the northwest gate see that this is not going well. i'd jump out and say gentleman, please excuse us, but mr. presley just want to drop a letter of to the president. and they really want up and said, you know, a senator is coming up at 7:00, and mr. presley, we will make sure that your letter is carried out to be delivered to the president. so we got into the car and went to the hotel washington. >> when you hear about the letter? >> i would first like to say that this is a delight to be

here. gerry, we have not seen each other since that date. >> and talk about instantly made -- lacking somebody when i met jerry and vice versa. i came in a little bit after the letter arrived. i was sitting at my desk and i got a call from the president's scheduling secretary, who i think we have to make knowledge today as the visionary for putting this whole thing together. at 7:15 a.m. in the morning, that is a genius. he calls me up and says that the king is here. [laughter] and i looked at the president's schedule and said white king? there are any kings on the schedule. and he said, not any too big

gain, the king of rock and roll. he said that he was reading a letter and he wanted to meet with the president. he wanted to help on the drug program and that is what you work on. one of the whites jobs to get people on the policy area and all. i will send a letter over to you and you can tell me what you think. the white house messenger brings it over and i start reading the letter. and i said, to like, you are really good. -- the white -- dwight, you're really good. i was part of a group of people that had been killed split on them every week in the white house. i thought that this was my turn. he is staying at the washington hotel under the name of jon burrows. i read it and said, what do we do this? i will try this out.

i called over to the hotel with the numbers that you can see on the screen, private and confidential. >> you can only get to me. >> jerry answers the phone, and i said i have a letter from elvis presley. i am laughing because i'm expecting to talk to someone's daughter. and he said, yes, that is one of the letters that mr. presley has written and we would very might -- very much like to arrange some kind of meeting with the president. and i thought that they had an impersonator of an aide. but this is still a joke. i said, why don't you come on over to the white house, and let's talk about this? normally when you are responsible for meeting with the president, you would like to know who is going to go into the oval office. they said, we will be right

over. i think a little time had elapsed from the letter delivery to me reading talking it over. >> did you expect to hear from the white house? >> elvis went to a meeting and had left me upon number and said, you stay here and wait for the white house call. i read a lot of howard hughes books where he let people in hotel rooms for like a year. [laughter] and i did not want to hurt his feelings and say we were not going to get a call. >> so your support -- so you are surprised when he called. >> and after he called, i never under estimated my friend's power again. >> sent you mentioned him, let's

take a look at the memo that he sent to mr. aldrin. this is a memo suggesting -- offering the option that the president meet elvis presley pre the most interesting part is page 2. do you see the writing? "you must be kidding." [laughter] but the h. means that he said to go ahead. >> he wanted the president to begin meeting young people and let's start with elvis presley. but you see the big h. their approving it. this came all little bit after i have had this audition meeting with gerry and sonny west. when did sonny west joined the

entourage? >> when i made the deal with elvis to have security from memphis meet us so i can get back to california, when i called elvis who was at the office, to tell him that you wanted to meet about the meeting with the president, elvis said, and this is the type of friend that he was, he is going to go into the executive offices. nobody says no to elvis. i learn that. so what happened is that he said, gerry, go out in front of the hotel and i will swing by and pick you up on the way. he included his friends and everything. as i was waiting and i saw the

limousine coming, i saw sunni getting out of a taxi -- sonny getting out of a taxi, and i said give your luggage to of ballet and we're going to the white house. >> how did the audition go? >> the audition went swimmingly. i did not know until i got a call from the gate that you guys were real. i thought that it would be an impersonator. this card says that there is someone here who look surprisingly like elvis presley. and he is wearing an interesting outfit. tightfitting purple velvet pants, tight shirt open to the navel, and the gold chain. what you want to do with them? i said to bring him down to the office. it was not until they walked into my office that i realized, oh, my goodness, this is elvis

presley. and then you came man and i will tell you, that was one of the most lovely half hours that i had talking to you all. and hill -- and hearing elba's talk from the heart about what his countrymen to him -- paraphrasing the letter, i have got a lot for my country, i want to get back, i can go into any group of people and be accepted by anyone. and he said that he would like to be made of a federal agent at large. [laughter] we do not have federal agents at large. we've got all kinds of agents but not federal agents at large. but all the cluster -- but full disclosure -- i was the biggest elvis presley fan. he was in my office, and i am trying to justify setting up this meeting with president?

you have to write out a script and talking points. i am thinking about that and i think the only state about half an hour. and then i ask you to go back to the hotel and we said we would see if we can get the approval. and this memo was sent and right after i had that audition, where i had drafted up some of the -- dwight had already drafted up some of the memo. the president has never met anybody like elvis presley and i wanted to be in that meeting. [laughter] >> and this is the memo that got you into the meeting. elvis presley and bud krogh. >> i wanted to make sure that i got into this meeting. and the secretary wanted to set

it up that way. i put some ideas about how else could help us in a drug program, because we won support from the entertainment industry. we had a number of other entertainers like art like a letter to help us out. -- art linklater to help us out. we talked about a musical called get high on life. we were looking for ways to justify it. i sent this over and got the word back from dwight was on, that holderman had approved it. >> this was over 8 two-hour period, and a lot of people were trying to see if we could pull this thing off. after i got the word back about the approval, the chief of staff approves all people that go into

the oval office. i called you back at a hotel and i said the meeting is on. come on back over here. we're going to have the session are around 11:45 a.m., about an hour when different guests could command. we had reserved about five minutes. you've heard the term drop by. they came back over and i got a call from the secret service, the head of the secret service. remember what gerry said about taking down gone from the wall and bringing that across the country? the head of the secret service detail said that we had a little problem here. elvis has brought a gun with him. [laughter] it's a very nice gun battles of world war ii. but there are no guns in the

oval office, the standard policy around here. and i said that i realize that. and at the bottom of this letter, he said that i have a gift for you which i can give you now or i can give it to you later. but it would have been nice to know that he has a gun. >> let's look at the guns. we have a picture of the gun. there it is -- isn't that beautiful? >> but that would make the secret service wondered. >> but when we were driving up to that white house, that drive to the white house, he took all his guns off and put them on the floor of the car. except this get to in its case. -- except this gift in its case. the badge that he was referring

to, he knew that the bad -- the new that he wanted. i year before, he collected a real badges. he went to rifle ranges and we have the right to carry concealed weapons. one night someone who had worked with al was on a couple of things set up one of the few dinners we ever went to at a famous restaurant in beverly hills. he wanted to meet this spy who worked at disney. he did voices like will winkle and stuff. i am thinking, why would he want to meet this boy's character? we go up to a private room where we had dinner. the private detector -- detective says, show elvis your badge.

paul reluctantly shows him his bureau of narcotics and dangerous drugs, and an elvis from that moment on sat at to get that bad. -- l. this from that moment on sat out to get that bad. -- elvis from that moment on set out to get the b adge. >> so i went over and took the gun with the secret service on behalf of the president. and this is a featured exhibits in the nixon presidential library preview can go out and see it now. >> i did not bring it with me. >> we took the gun and we're

waiting in the roosevelt room for the word from the secret service to go in. he said that the president was ready so we walk into the oval office. >> let's go to the first of all office picture. he does not just have the gun. he has the photograph. >> i realize that he has a lot of photographs and badges. the president is shaking hands with him. just to get elvis over to the desk took an effort because he looked at the eagles in grave in the ceiling and the carpets and the floor, and i knew it overwhelmed him, a poor boy from tupelo, mississippi here in the oval office. i put my hand on his back and moved them over to the desk. you could see here that he is wearing his glasses and his kate.

nobody was ever dressed quite that way in the oval office. the president had never seen anybody quite like that either. there were shaking hands, and the white house photographer did a phenomenal job with these photographs. >> doesn't look all afraid to shake hands? >> the next photograph, elvis is showing him the photographs. >> this is still in tel. his showing them pictures of lisa marie and priscilla. some of his badges from all the different departments around the country. he is looking over at me. >> was this part of the play-by- play? >> i will resign as a script writer because not one of the things that i put in my talking points were ashley said. i am standing off watching this. how many of you have seen the

picture "forrest gump?" remember that line when he is sitting on a park bench in saying that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get? this was my box of chocolates moment. >> let's take a look at that. there you are. [laughter] >> if they make a remake of that, that is not tom hanks. >> the president is looking at his cuff links there. those are really nice, mr. president. we're going through show and tell, but cufflinks and i am having a good hand. you can see in my hand up pad,

because you take notes. they talked about' study of communist brainwashing. and then he said something about the beatles that was not that flattering. they came over here, made a lot of money, and didn't buy any american stock. and the president said, they didn't? and i said, i will get right on that, mr. president. that is a hard to get there. i thought, how does he know that? i am just watching this amazing conversation unfolded. and then as gerry has set this up so perfectly, elvis said, can

you give me a badge from the bureau of narcotics and dangerous drugs? not if you do not know the answer to that question, what is the right answer? and a staff person, what should i say? anybody help tme? i'll look into it. let me find out if it is legal. there are a lot of things that you want to find out and an advanced i said, if you want to get -- in advance. i said, mr. president, if you want to give him a badge, you can get him a badge. the president said, get him a badge. i want him to have one. elvis was so overcome, he grabbed the president and hugged him. which was not the norm in that place. and i thought that i was out of here. he turned to the president and

this shows what jerry was talking about. l this is loyalty to his friends. -- elvis' loyalty to his friends. he asked if the president had time to meet his friends. the president says that -- asked if we did have time for that. and i said it was fine. i think i brought you back again. >> there was a phone call what you took elvis and first. he was explaining to us that it was a secret service thing. and the phone rang, he got a call that the president wanted to meet mr. presley's friend. i have to interject one thing. ellis did like the beatles. -- elvis did like the beatles. >> he was trying in his mind to

say everything to president nixon, because the government was having trouble at the time, he was trying to and brilliantly did get the president -- he was relating to the president on his level. he loved the beatles. >> you might go on to the next picture. the french command. there they are. there is your cool leather jacket. >> sunni is wearing his -- sonn y is wearing his suit. they are talking to each other. the president has his hands on

its head spirit he said, if you have got a couple of big ones here, elvis. [laughter] >> if i could talk about my first impression, i was a history major per my last semester, one student got to help teach. when he took this down to the oval office, it was not the staff guy that open the room -- open the door, it was elvis. pictures are flat, so all the stuff that i had seen at the white house, elvis open the door, he said come on in, and the president was at the desk. and i realize that the oval room was oval. he pushed me end. sonny comes in, and as we're

going on -- coming in, the president does all little thing on my shoulder, and he said come on looks like some football players. and then i realize, there was a human side to president nixon. >> well so fun about this part of that is that he likes to give gifts to the people that had been there. let's say you win a small prize in you come to the oval office, he will give you a golf ball. there is no connection between golf balls and your prize. this is one of the most abiding memories that i have to the entire episode. the president went behind his desk, he opened a drawer, and go

back to the picture of the desk. see the telephone on your left side? the bottom drawer on that side of the desk is wary had big gifts. they are raised by golf balls through cufflinks to bracelets to pants. i don't know, ascending order of value. he is reaching down, and elvis did not get to be the king of rock by not knowing where the goal was. he went behind a desk with the president. elba's presley is diving into the georgia, and the president is thinking, he is planning me out. -- l. this presley is diving into the drawer, and the president is thinking, he is claiming me out.

-- cleaning me out. it is a few days before christmas, and he is doing all this christmas shopping in the president's door. what did you get? >> i got couplings, and then -- cufflinks, and something for my wife. >> i think those were the 16 carry gold. anyway, you left pretty late. this is a good picture of you going across the oval office. we went out to the right of that seal that julie had done for him during the campaign and gave it to him when nixon went over the top.

then we went down to lunch and a mess. the white house mess is a place that has seen many famous people, movie stars, famous senators, even heads of states would like to be able to eat there. but when i walked into the white house mess with jerry and sonny west and elvis presley and his great calfed, people, their jaws dropped. who held this chair? >> i did. i was so proud of them at that point. i did not easily pull out a chair for elvis. it was in the center of the place, and i just pulled out the chair. he sat down. >> do you remember what you late? >> god, no.

i had been up almost three days. >> we had a great lunch together and after word -- you have to understand halfway through this meeting, the president and elvis concluded that it ought to be kept secret. they were not sure that their respective constituencies would understand why we were all together. elvis is saying that we need to keep this confidential. and the press that said, that is a good idea. we will do that. after lunch, i called the bureau of narcotics and dangerous drugs and said this decision to give the badge was not my finest hour. i just went along with that. i should have thought it through. i said, john, the president has decided that he would like to get an all finnic badge to elvis presley.

and his response was, i guess it is not so bad to be overruled by the president. he had been -- he had given the correct answer before. he brought the bag over. >> that is why we had lunch. elvis was not going to leave -- [laughter] >> there is the zero bagehot sell. -- let's take a look at the badge. >> it was a secret for 13 months. here is the way washington works. some people write memoirs and somehow those drafts might get into the possession of an investigative reporter. jack anderson was a very popular -- a merry go round, you

turn to that book, and there was a story that came out and january 25, 1972. and you cannot see this. presley gets narcotics bureau badge. this is not exactly of hot new story. this was a year later, but the memoirs had gone to jack anderson. he got in our tax badge -- a narcotics badge? and he describes the first meeting that he had with elvis, and then my call later on, john and i were good friends and i felt badly about making the call, but not so bad right now. >> you've got a bit of the toward the white house. what didn't elvis say when he saw the situation room? >> he was a huge film buff.

there was a film called "dr. strange love,"which we saw 15 times and our private screening rooms. els could "every part. he could "peter sellars talking to itself, george c. scott, he was a great actor. there was a part in their or they go into the situation room and peter sellars says, you cannot fight in the war room. we go into the situation room, and elvis said, you can fight in the war room. >> i think you can see an image of the jack anderson article. >> i am looking at it. >> there it is. >> we have everything at the

national archives. >> you guys are amazing. >> i thought it was a great meeting but not significant. i imagine this. the king of rock comes to the white house in the morning and we were not sick reading him through tunnels or anything like that. we were moving him through the roosevelt room and went down off all and he was friendly with a lot of the employees, cast a couple of the girls. -- kissed a couple of the girls. to keep that confidential, it is incredible. how could that happen? top-secret material flowed sat at that place every day. but this man comes in and had that kept secret for 13 months was incredible. i think that is what piqued

jack anderson's interests. >> we're still talking about it 40 years later. >> through the magic of video, we can now listen to president richard nixon remember meeting elvis presley. which you play that clip now? it looked good. >> elvis was clutching some various batches from around the country. and it was looking at the complex. >> he was very flamboyant. >> he recalled a meeting at a 1990 interview. >> i did not know that much about them except what i read. i sense that he was basically a

shy man. flamboyant to cover-up the shyness. people said that that he did you -- used drugs. they overlook the fact that he never used illegal drugs. it was always drugs prescribed by his decision. [laughter] he was always a sincere man. >> that was interesting. i will let you -- >> it's an interesting thing. what the president said is true, actually. there is a difference between street drugs and prescription drugs. you can certainly abuse prescription drugs. my observation of this meeting, i saw the most powerful person in the world politically i was

on the other side at that time, and i saw him meeting the most popular person in the world, these two great men, when you think of the world and history all the time had been at the top of their professions but were not at that moment, you know? elvis was ok at the time and the president was not that popular of the time. but my observation of seeing two great man connect on a human level, and i think that they really got the loneliness of both of their positions in the world. it was not just that meeting -- they stayed in touch. i admired, first of all, if there was ever an american

story, it was elvis presley. we grow up in the poor section. if you saw a movie called "hustle and flow," that is where elvis and i grew up. here we were in the oval room of the white house with the president of united states, and they really had a human -- he had known what elvis' intentions were. elvis certainly understood some of the pressures of the presidency and there are so many funny things about that meeting but the real thing about that meeting to me, if there is a true american story, that is what the top. >> tallis when richard nixon went into the hospital, what elvis did?

>> else called him -- elvis called him, and when elvis was in the hospital, richard nixon contacted him. there was a mutual respect. it was nice to know that a person so powerful as the president of the united states was a human being. i got the witness that personally. >> we have a clip from richard nixon. do you have -- you remember elvis talking about the effect of this business -- this visit on him? >> he was proud that he got the badge. [laughter] that was his main -- and he was very particular with that one. we met on two hours and had a lot of security. he liked to hang